ReDot Fine Art Gallery is honored to host a ground-breaking show “Nganampa Ngura” (Our Place) by Ninuku Arts. Deriving from a tiny community in the north-western corner of South Australia, Ninuku Arts is one of the most exciting art centres to emerge over the past 5 years. They are an important part of the celebrated district known as the APY (Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara) Lands which has become known as one of the most dynamic in the whole of Australia, thrusting itself onto the national stage over recent years.
An Impressionist; a Romantic; a stroker of cubism; a believer in classicism and they all roll with passionate force and become Segar, the peer of all great expectations in the world of art. He is an icon painter who invented his own style of drawing. He pays tribute to the beauty of Asian women and everything his eyes behold ... from nature to religion... from life to eternity. They are all captured in the fury of colour and moist, sometimes based on line and square but not particularly in cubism but which I find in many of his paintings. Segar is rightfully a different artist, someone Sri Lanka is immensely proud of.
His brush strays towards abstract too but not with severe force. He has tremendous energy as he dabbles in creating his own colour schemes--very bold in the use of fiery reds, stunning blues, gorgeous greens and the sunny yellows. He also competes with the setting sun, plucking off his vibrant orange to set of the dull colours. Not entirely dependent on subtle colour. Segar also gets carried away by their impact when in a pensive mood. His favourite animal is the bull and he reveres it the way he does with, Ganesha. Segar also paints Christ in sombre mood and the Buddhist monks in their saffron robes. And Segar has to move on. He has to get in to the bracket of some of India’s greats who have stormed into Sotheby’s and Christie’s. He started simplifying and abstracting figures so that line and colour would harmonize rather than the objects itself. Segar is one painter who relies on colour as his vehicle for expression. The realistic depiction of ordinary objects is of no importance. It is the substance that he finds in roaring colour that matter. The brilliant luminous colours fascinate him. In a sense, he challenges the conventional ideas of figure and line never pausing to wonder why and consciously reject the image in his art. His expression in painting is different and very soon Sotheby’s will marvel at them and Christie’s will add to their collection. He has no free floating forms but serene and courageous in his strokes. Did he decide to upset the convention of painting and turn away from nature? I wonder at times.</p>
Segar is aware that colour could and would advance or diminish in the hands of the painter and therefore, he allows all vibrant colours to filter through his fingers on to the canvas. His female figures are sensuous but without sexism. The mystique oriental beauty captured in them is both alluring and voluptuous and rekindled the ladies of the harems of kings of yore. They are heavenly and profound evoking many a desire in the beholder. Segar plays on colour and light but not to enhance a particular point. They are merely gap-fillers for these gorgeous figures. His is a new language in art so different to most painters. As I have always said, I could pick a ‘Segar’ from a distance just the way I do with Lawry’s match-stick paintings or for that matter, Monet’s. Segar has his exhibits permanently sited in many countries but operated from his beloved Sri Lanka.
See more of Segar here.
Dragon is a beast of fortune. It carries intense power. May the dragon be with us this year when it is in 2012 that it is said to reign. From the mouth of a dragon is fire. It is intense. It is passion. Yet, what we have now is no ordinary one. It is the water dragon!
Water soothes our mood. It is cool. It pacifies the fire coming out from the mouth of the beast. The result is not fire at all but already crafted in beauty. How about fireworks, this time? Such a work of art! It is so us, artyii. The water dragon belongs to us. What we create is not just about intensity but we do not discard the essence of beauty in everything we do. Just as Asians are, in our passion in arts also lies our craving for what soothes the eyes just like our Zen’s style and some more of our landscape gardens. To compare what artyii has to Adele’s song: We set fire to the rain. The effect then is a drizzle of little sparks instead of solid flame. It is firework. It is artwork!
Once again , from the bottom of our hearts, in behalf of all the staff along with Artyii’s co-founders, Shannon Lim and Cai Lin Ng, Happy Lunar Year to all! This year is fire and water combined. And for us, artists, it simply means “Beauty in Passion, our cool in the heat!
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Another year has passed. Challenges overcame. But more than tasks which appeared unbearable were blessings. Artyii is not to deny the fact that art life has been wonderful for the past years, given that such humble art site is not focused over its own progress alone but more of propagating art in a more wider scope. Artyii is after introducing arts back not to a selected few but to the general public, as much as possible.
So far, the plight has been good enough to make people get fully aware of how creative juices are extracted to the talented ones to give entertainment to people. If not educating the masses of anything about arts, getting them exposed to artworks, to the honing of talent in the process, to the progress and development of the skills of artists apparent on their works from the first time they started their free membership with artyii, to-date. Not to mention that every month, artists generously share their experience, their background and their way to success and ongoing struggle, as well, that they need to surpass along the way, to the viewing public. Such system inspires and influences the aspiring ones and encourages non-artists to learn art and challenges non-art lovers to give art a shot. There are things in life that are given away generously for free. And so far, one of these that artyii has been generous about is giving people a chance and a means to love and embrace art back to our lives.
Artyii, irrefutably, has started manifesting progress on its pure intention to make Asian art be known to global art scene. Getting the masses to get introduced to one form of arts, ‘say wall paintings, leads to getting people in an international level discover Asians as talented artists, in whatever form of arts it may be. The best part is yet to come in the following years. The goal is selfless and that is to hook up emerging artists and the pro ones to both art collectors and art lovers worldwide.
Via artyii, Vietnam arts were discovered by a few collectors. So far, such magnificence has kept artyii’s fans elbowing one another to get a hold of brilliance, and truly we speak here of international level. Months and months from now, from Vietnam art, artyii will try its full potential for other Asian arts to be noticed. These are arts, incontestably, are at par with that of competitive creations in the market.
2011 was a great year. And as for 2012, there will be more to come when it comes to progress and success. This is not founded from positive declaration alone but based on the trend as how it had been for 2011.
Once again Artyii is extending its best wishes for this coming year to the viewing public and to all artyii members. Happy New Year!
We painted these dreaming’s on the school doors because the children should learn about our Law. We want our children to learn about and know our Law, our Dreaming’s. That is why we painted these dreamtime stories” – Paddy JAPALJARRI STEWART
In the early 1970s the people of Yuendumu began transferring their traditional stories, dreaming’s (tjukurrpa) and ground paintings to western mediums such as canvas boards and plywood; then to the doors of the Yuendumu school. In 1984 five aboriginal artists, including Paddy, painted thirty iconic doors at the Yuendumu school. These thirty doors represented the dreaming of the Warlpiri people, an extraordinary history of sacred rituals, painted to remind the children of their patrimony – the web of sites and obligations that extend across Warlpiri country.
The painting of the school doors was initially conceptualized to educate the children of the community, what better way to ingrain culture than by putting it on the doors the children would need to pass through repeatedly on a daily basis; but it also had an impact on the larger community – it bought together five artists from two classicatory groups, kirda (father, owner) and kurdungurlu (teacher, servant, worker, policeman). These two groups learnt and shared the different tjukurrpa’s depicted on each door openly, something that in normal life would not have necessarily happened. Each door represented either the Honey Ant tjukurrpa, or any of the many other tjukurrpa’s – Water, Snake, Possum, Kangaroo, Big and Small Yam, just to name a few, that are sacred to these people and their lands.
The Yuendumu community is in the Tanami Desert, 300 km north-west from Alice Springs, the remoteness of this special community has helped the kinship maintain their strong language, social and spiritual traditions, which are the inspiration for the beautiful, artistic expressions of the association’s older artists.
For thousands of years the Warlpiri people traced their dreaming symbols onto ground paintings as part of their ceremonies and when the ceremonies were over the images would be brushed away by hand or by the desert winds. Nomadic, desert life is all about change, but the doors remained in place at the school for twelve years, resisting erasure despite the desert wind and sun, surviving robust treatment from Warlpiri school children.
We wake and we open doors, we work and we open doors, what would life be without doors? Western society would be lost without them, but what good is a door in the desert? To Aboriginal culture, and the old traditional way of life, doors served no functional purpose whatsoever. It was thus ironic and poignant that the painting of the Warlpiri tjukurrpa’s should be done on the school doors, a fitting marriage of two very different cultures finding a common place to communicate, through the education of the young and the future.
Of those five pioneering men, only Paddy JAPALJARRI STEWART is still alive. A gentle, intelligent man, incredibly knowledgeable about the country and the laws associated with it, he has had an extraordinary life as an artist. He was born in Mungapunju, just south of Yuendumu and as a young man he was a station worker at Mt Allen, Mt Dennison and in the top end of Australia. His artistic career commenced in the early 1980’s and has only gained momentum and significance through the years, over 100 group shows have included this cultural heavyweight’s work and it remains a mystery why it has taken until 2012 to witness the first ever solo exhibition of his works at the tender age of 76 or so. Paddy (affectionately known as ‘Cookie’ in reference to his early years as a cook in the Papunya Tula community) has had his work added to some of the most renowned museums in Australia - Flinders University Art Museum, South Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne and National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, just to name a few. This amazing man is a force to be reckoned with and has accomplished so much in his lifetime – from a school bus driver, to a remarkable artist who has travelled to Paris with five others creating a ground painting installation at the exhibition 'Magiciens de la Terre' at the Centre Georges Pompidou.
Indeed Paddy was widely acknowledged as being the force behind the school project given his close ties to the school and his role of teaching young children both kardiya and yapa (non-aboriginal and aboriginal).
In 2000 Paddy undertook to produce 30 etchings of the original doors in collaboration with Paddy Sims. The first print of the etchings was all on one page and had its debut alongside the Yuendumu doors while they were exhibited in Alice Springs. The etchings in a set were launched in 2001, to great acclaim with the set winning the Telstra, 16th National Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Award.
The iconic doors have since been unhinged permanently and are on display at the South Australian Museum as part of their permanent collection, but we at ReDot Fine Art Gallery are fortunate enough to have the only exhibit replicas of the school project along with the artist proof of the works on paper. Paddy has painted this entire series, recounting and re-telling each of the dreaming’s depicted on those iconic doors so many years ago.
The combination of Paddy’s stately importance within the Warlpiri community, the deferral to his ancestral knowledge, his advancing years, combined with the impact and cultural significance of the doors, make this particular exhibition a once in a lifetime experience. This is not a show to miss. This is a show that will make an irreversible impression on your understanding and appreciation of culture, art and Aboriginal civilization.
ReDot invites anyone fascinated by indigenous art and culture to step into a world that is familiar in its simplicity but memorizing in its depth and wonder. The living stories virtually leap off each canvas and beg the viewer to look more deeply for meaning and consequence, for understanding and order.
ReDot Fine Art Gallery is honoured to host Paddy JAPALJARRI STEWART’s first ever Solo Exhibition, titled ‘Panu’ (All). A fitting climax to a career of a man who’s knowledge of the desert and its mystical laws is ALL encompassing. The show will run February 15 2012 - March 31 2012 at ReDot Fine Art Gallery, 39 Keppel Road, Unit #02-06, Singapore.
In conjunction with MustArt Gallery in Delhi, India, we've come to know about the very interesting Gond Art, representing a very contemporary side of India. We thank Tulika for contributing this piece.
Gond tribal paintings are the contemporary Tribal art painting of Central India. The Gond tribal community is one of the central India's largest indigenous communities and their art is an expression of their everyday quest for life. The Gond art rendezvous with the belief that "viewing a good image begets good luck". This inherent belief led the Gonds to decorating their houses and the floors with traditional tattoos and motifs. However, Gondi art has since transposed onto paper and canvas with talented artists showcasing their skills.
The mythical beasts and the intricate detailing of flora and fauna are the dominant themes that have animated the lives of the Gonds for centuries and their art is used as means to record history.It was Jangarh, under the guidance of his mentor, who gave a distinct form to Gond art by introducing the definitive style of motif patterning with dots, dashes, roundels etc. Over time, his work got a label for itself and popularly came to be known as ‘Jangarh kalam’, considered the benchmark technique by Gond artists.
Not surprisingly Gondi art with its vibrant and compelling patterns has captivated the international art market. This exposure has transformed the lives of these tribal artists, encouraging them to transcend cultural barriers and paint the language of the universe in their own special way.
CONTEMPORARY INDIA
India is both a marvel and a paradox. The world’s largest democracy,it is a mind-boggling polyethnic society numbering more than 1 billion people. It is one of the world’s oldest civilizations and has produced four major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. It is a mostly agrarian, poverty-stricken country, even though it is a world leader in information technology and space exploration. Ours is a country that is constantly seeking to negotiate the present and future, even as it almost fanatically holds on to a glorious past.
When India gained independence in 1947, its ethnic, caste, and religious conflicts, its security considerations, and its poverty, illiteracy, and other social woes caused many experts to predict that the country was bound to disintegrate. India, however, has proven these doomsayers wrong—as it continues to provide fodder to those who want to believe that the country cannot sustain itself in the long run.
Indian Contemporary Art too in the break of 21st century is as varied as it had never been before. From the elitist business houses and royal families, it has now entered the drawing rooms of the middle-class buyers and from domestic market it is now traveling offshore to fetch immense; often astronomical prices. A strong sense of design is a characteristic of Indian art and can be observed in its modern as well as in its traditional forms.
While contemporary artists in India take inspiration from various sources and styles, Indian Art still retains its distinct Indianness.
We thank Tulika for explaining to us what Gond Art is about. You may see her profile here
When Chee Seong accompanied his then-girlfriend (now wife) for art classes nearly 11 years ago, little did he realise it was a creative road of no return for him.
In the day, Chee Seong is a well-respected lecturer at the School of Digital Media & Infocomm Technology. Pursing arts and becoming both an artist and art collector is a luxury for him. A man of many passions, he is also addicted to collecting vintage cameras and toys. "While others are on Facebook all day, he's on ebay scouting for his hidden gems!" says Yee Cheng, his wife.
Chee Seong and his adopted rabbits welcomed us to his cozy apartment. A long stretch of 6 paintings by artist Chan Kerk adorn his spacious living room like proud trohpies. Paintings by his wife are also displayed prominently.
Unlike many collectors, Chee Seong acquires a painting not only for the polished end-product, but also because a sense of attachement grew as he witnessed the creaion process. "It's fun, and I'm always the first to look at it!" he says.
Chee Seong shares how the collecting bug caught him and why he would is open to collecting all genres of art in the last part of Artyii Private Wall Series.
Stepping into Francis’ beautiful house, one is immediately taken in by the rustic Buddha sculptures, carefully polished wooden furniture and soothing greenery. Yet, without a strand of doubt, the exquisite collection of paintings takes center-stage.
Francis, Managing Director in a technology firm, first fell in love with paintings 30 years ago, in 1980. Under the influence of his boss, his first purchase was not one, but three paintings by Singaporean artist; Ong Boon Kong. Today his collection is predominately from South East Asia, with paintings from Burma, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore.
Francis' first art purchase in 1980, a series of three paintings by Ong Boon Kong
Crisis – Best time to acquire art
Crisis surfaces opportunities – is not only sharp business acumen, this principle applies also to art. Francis goes on a buying spree when crisis strikes. Take his trip to Myanmar for example. When SARS plagued Yangon in 2003, art prices dipped. During a holiday, Francis and his girlfriend spent US$9,000 within two days, acquiring nearly 30 pieces of art. “We never thought we’ll spend all our holiday money on art pieces!” adds Francis
When asked how he determines the authenticity of art when buying in developing countries, Francis commented, “Of course you’ll get fake pieces and there are galleries which are not honest in third world countries”. To most of us, perhaps buying from reputable galleries and doing ample research before taking the plunge would be the safest route to follow.
Francis has a wall complete with numerous pieces by Myanmar artists, U Lun Gywe
More from U Lun Gywe
My Home, art by Myanmar artist Myint Swe
No wall is left unoccupied in Francis' house, this series of smaller paintings are by Win Pe Myint
29th Street by Myint Swe
On Art and Artist in Singapore
The patriotic side in Francis is obvious; his walls are dominated by art from renowned Singaporean artists like Tang Da Wu, Anthony Chua, Hong Sek Chern, Chua Ek Kay and Aw Tee Hong. His fondness for local art, however, does not extend to young Singaporean artists – at least not yet. “I bought a very outstanding piece from a young painter. Now, he had quit art and become an accountant” said Francis. Continuity and determination in pursuing art are lacking in our young minds. “I haven’t spotted a young artist who can attract me to buy 4 or 5 pieces” he adds.
Francis also points out the fact that a large section of local art is driven by the government. Ministries are loyal collectors of Singapore’s old art masters and public agencies have steadily increased funding support for arts. The lack in private sector support has been a long-standing problem. As Singapore continues to attract more tourists and foreigners coming to work, hopefully, this problem would be alleviated gradually.
Four Tang Da Wu's abstract ink on paper are the highlights of Franci's beautiful living room
Francis is also an avid collector of Anthony Chua's paintings
More from Anthony Chua. Without enough walls to hang them, Francis can only place them against the walls
Factory Beng You 3 by Hong Sek Chern. Hong and Chua form a husband and wife team devoted to art.
Chua Ek Kay’s last collection before passing away. Francis feels that this is Ek Kay’s most matured piece to date where he experimented with different forms of paper and medium. Seen here is Misty Lotus, oil and ink on paper.
Aw Tee Hong (right) Singapore's second generation artist is also among the few artists who caught Francis' interest in local art
Adam and Eve by Singaporean painter Tan Chong En
Below are excerpts of two key questions from our interview. Let’s hear it in Francis’ own words.
Are there occasions when you felt like you overpaid for an art?
My girlfriend certainly thinks so! My art are not extremely expensive and I drive a hard bargain too. There are instances where I am more impulsive than ever. For example, when I bought the piece by Chua Ek Kay, my wife thought that I was crazy to pay so much for that. It was a two minutes decision! I spoke with Ek Kay and immediately told the gallery owner that I would be back to buy it. I’m very impulsive and maybe it’s the nature of my industry.
Every time when I see a piece, I have to access it very quickly to see if I like it. The money didn’t matter. It’s not as if I’m spending $50,000 or $100,000 on a single piece.
Francis' collects mostly art in South East Asia. Chinese art is too expensive while he humbly claims that he 'cannot understand' Western art. Seen here are art from Vietnam and Myanmar.
Francis thinks that in SE Asia, artists from Philippines and Indonesia are the most promising. Works by Indonesian artist, Suklu.
This painting was given to Francis as a gift. Art by Chinese artist Cheng Sheng Hu.
Top:Myanmar artist, U Hla Han - Cock Fight ; Bottom: Philippine artist, Nume Avaraldo - Hilab
Filipino artist, Lydia Velasco - Light and Life. Through friends in Philippines, Francis purchased this at a very good price long before Velasco was showcased in major auction houses. Her art now goes for $20,000 to $30,000.
You said you’re an impulsive buyer, so do you research before acquiring art?
Very interestingly, for most pieces which I bought, I research on them only after purchasing. For example, when I bought U Lun Gywe’s pieces (Myanmar artist), it was because I was so bored and was surfing the internet. Most Myanmar artists are very conservative but he was different. Given a recent bonus handout, I instantly purchased five pieces at USD$1,000 each online.
Shortly after, I went to Myanmar in 2003, his pieces for going for USD$300! My girlfriend claimed that I was crazy to have paid so much. However, a week after I returned to Singapore, I spotted U Lun Gywe’s art at a gallery selling for between $3000 and $4000. So there really isn’t a fixed price range in art.
Vietnamese artist - Ngyuen Viet Luc, Summer
“There’s no reason why I collect them (art), they are all in different themes” Francis said, referring to his wide diversity of art. Perhaps the underlying reason would be his love for art – which is definitely unexplainable. Speaking enthusiastically with eyes lit with passion, Francis exclaimed earnestly, “It is my dream to open a gallery when I retire”. And we sure hope you do Francis!
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If there is one valuable in the house that can be transferred from one generation to generation as heirloom, then it must be wall painting. It seems that it has been a tradition to families to keep at least one as keepsake which will soon be a trademark of a clan’s home interior design. Thus, caring for it is a must not unless such art piece is not aimed to last long.
Wall paintings that we see in the museum are mostly antiques. These are highly valuable collections which billions of dollars are spent to maintain the freshness yet preserve the antiquity of the artworks. However, wall paintings are not just meant to be heralded within the confines of the museum. As it has been said, we maintain one or more at home and which most of the time, it is set above our valued furniture, too-- our old piano for an instance. And with this, we need to have a grasp of simple “do’s and don’t’s” or simple “how to’s” in caring for our wall painting at home.
Pointers:
BE keen for the following pointers as to how we can contribute to the preservation of our wall painting at home without declaring SOS to call the attention of the experts.
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At least loosely cover your wall paiting with smooth linen if it is necessary to keep it in the attic.
Knowing how to take care of your wall painting at home means a valuable inheritance for the next generation to receive!
Have you ever stopped to wonder how the awe-strucking pieces touch base in galleries? They definitely do not just miraculously appear there. Instead, the hard work of collection services, logistics teams and curators make all this happen. Just how are art pieces transported from storage to museum galleries? Find out here as I walk you through the tedious process of transporting paintings.
Step 1: Condition Check
Art works to be transported are analysed by officers or conservators, in terms of its condition, size and complexity of structure.
Step 2: Material Preparation
A. Silicon release for acrylic and pesto paintings and plastic sheets for oil and water colour paintings. These act as protection from the external environment, along with acid-free tissue paper. B. Bubble Wrap C. 1 to 3 ply cardboards D. Customized crate or boxes for transport safety.
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Step 3: Packing
During transportation, packers and museum officers need to ensure absolute protection against moisture and heat.
Here are the steps taken below:
Silicon paper wrapped on painting canvas → Tape bubble wrap around painting completely with no gaps, thus no entrance of air or water. → Place cardboard to fit at the backing and another on top of the canvas, taped together. → Packed work is further wrapped in a thick plastic wrap, shut tight with the title and artist written on plastic for identification.
Crates are used for very fragile works and airfreight purposes. The interior is secured with top grade and thick grey Polyethylene (PE) foam. The crate is screwed tight for transport.
Step 4: Loading
Paintings are loaded onto a painting trolley → Trolley is secured with a tied string all around with PE foams in between works. This stops works from moving during the journey. → Trolley is cling wrapped as an additional preventive measure. This prevents works from moving and any water from reaching works should there be a leak in the transport vehicle.
Step 5: Securing
Painting Trolleys are secured to walls in the transport vehicle with thick industrial fabric cables at places away from the works to avoid damaging works.
Step 6: On The Go
Packers and museum staff travel with works to ensure no movement harms the work in the process especially with oversized paintings.
Trucks are enhanced with pressure absorbers to diffuse sudden jerks along the road. This allows works to travel in a stable controlled condition.
Containers are fitted with air-conditioning at 22 Degrees Celsius. This keeps works in optimum temperature and conditions similar to that in storage and museum conditions. With this, mould will not form easily and insect infections will cease to occur.
Step 7: Unloading and Unwrapping
Like loading, works are simply rolled off in the trolley into a temporary gallery space where works are temporarily stored until all works are ready to be unpacked.
Works are consolidated into piles according to the many parts one accession number might have. They are then noted down for the museum’s own logistics purposes
Though these 7 steps may seem few, one needs to be particular about ensuring paintings are covered and treated with care.
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